Quarai facts for kids
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Quarai
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Quarai Ruins in Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
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 Location in New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Punta de Agua, New Mexico |
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| Area | 65 acres (26 ha) |
| Built | 1200 |
| Part of | Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000498 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | June 13, 1962 |
| Designated NMON | December 19, 1980 |
Quarai is an amazing historical site in New Mexico. It is part of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. This special place shows us what life was like long ago. You can see the remains of ancient Native American villages. There are also ruins of a Spanish mission from the 1600s. Later, in the 1800s, Spanish ranchers lived here too. Quarai is a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important place in American history.
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Discovering Quarai: An Ancient Pueblo Site
The Quarai ruins are in central New Mexico. They are about 8 miles (13 km) north of Mountainair. Mountainair is where the main visitor center for the Salinas Pueblos National Monument is located. The biggest parts of the ruins are the main pueblo and the walls of the old mission church. This church was likely one of the largest buildings of its kind in North America. Its walls are very thick, from three to six feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters). They probably stood about 40 feet (12 meters) high.
You can also see mounds of earth at Quarai. These mounds cover even older buildings. There are also two rare examples of fortified plazuela sites. These were Spanish colonial-style ranch sites. They were built in the 1820s and 1830s.
The Story of Quarai: From Ancient Times to Today
The people who first lived at Quarai were called the Quarai. They were a group of Tiwa Puebloans, also known as Southern Tiwa. They were one of several Tiwa-speaking groups. These groups lived in the Salinas basin when Spanish explorers first arrived in the late 1500s. The Spanish called them the "Cuarac."
Life at Quarai: The Pueblo People
Archaeologists believe the Quarai people settled here around 1300 AD. By the early 1600s, they had built a large pueblo village. A pueblo is a type of village with buildings made of stone, adobe, and other local materials. These buildings often have many rooms and multiple stories.
The Spanish Mission: A New Chapter
Spanish missionaries came to Quarai in 1626. The Quarai people allowed them to build a mission. This mission was named Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Quarai. It was finished in 1632. The community was doing well for a while.
Why Quarai Was Left Behind
However, a serious drought hit the area in the late 1660s. A drought is a long period with very little rain. This made it hard to grow food. At the same time, there were attacks from Apache groups. Because of these problems, the Quarai people had to leave their home. They abandoned the site in 1675. The Quarai survivors moved to the Rio Grande valley. This area is now south of the city of Albuquerque.
Ranchers and Ruins: Quarai in the 1800s
No one lived at Quarai again until the 1800s. Spanish ranchers Miguel and Juan Lucero arrived in the 1820s. The Luceros used the ruined convento, which was part of the mission, as a sheep pen. They also built an irrigation system. This system used stones and bricks they found in the ruins.
Both the church and one of their houses were built on top of older ruins. The Luceros and other local ranchers used the church for services. At that time, the church still had its roof. Traveling preachers would lead the services. In 1829, the ranchers asked the Mexican governor for a new church building. This was approved, but the construction stopped early. This was due to disagreements among the residents and with the authorities. Instead, a church was built in a nearby town called Manzano. The Lucero settlement was abandoned after a major Apache raid in 1830. This raid also caused the church roof to collapse.
Protecting Quarai: A National Treasure
The state of New Mexico bought the ruins in the 1930s. They worked to make sure the ruins would not fall apart. The state managed Quarai as a monument for many years. In the 1980s, the National Park Service took over. This happened when the Casa Quiveras National Monument was made bigger. It was then renamed the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Today, Quarai is protected so everyone can learn about its long and interesting history.
